Vendée Globe

As the leaders close fast with the Kerguelen islands, arc-ing NEE preparing to pass just to the south of them before gybing south again, Jean Pierre Dick remains 30 miles clear of a three way battle for second to fourth places which is separated by only 3.6 miles.

Having reached second Mich Desj has slipped to third as Roland Jourdain gains a slight edge for second, with Mike Golding is fourth, 3.6 miles behind Bilou.

What is remarkable is not just the speed and intensity, but how even the top five boats are matched. Bilou is making the 2004 Lombard design sing, but as he noted today he knows the boat well and the boat knows him, and he is usually very quick in the south.

Mike Golding previously referred to the ‘usual suspects’ and it is they – a magnificent seven – shooting it out in the Southern Ocean.

Golding and Jourdain are on their third Vendee Globe races, it is the second for Mich Desj, Josse, leader Dick, Le Cam and Riou.  

The second group are the best of the Vendée rookies, Le Cléach, Eliès and Guillemot in eighth to tenth. Le Cléac’h holds a sixty miles lead on a closely packed trio Eliès, Guillemot and the steadily advancing Dominique Wavre. They have now just 35 miles between Wavre in 11^th and Eliès in 9^th, with Wavre gaining 33 miles on Eliès in the last 24 hours.

Steve White has crossed the second ice gate. There may have been some confusion in his mind as to its exact position, considering that it was moved.

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